Israel, Egypt Discuss Efforts to Revive Peace Talks
VOA News
06 January 2011
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt on Thursday in an effort to revive stalled peace talks with the Palestinians.
A statement from Netanyahu's office says the two leaders will discuss ways to advance the peace process and other regional issues during their meeting at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Late Wednesday, Jordan's King Abdullah warned Israel and the Palestinians against "wasting more time" in their stalled talks. He commented during a phone conversation with Netanyahu.
A statement from the Jordanian leader's office says he also warned Netanyahu that the current stalemate could threaten regional peace and stability.
Direct talks between the two sides stalled after an Israeli settlement construction moratorium expired in late September. Palestinians oppose construction on land they want as part of a future state.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority's chief delegate at the United Nations said Arab states are preparing a Security Council resolution that would condemn Israel's settlement construction in the West Bank.
Riyad Mansour, the permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nations, said an initial draft of the resolution, backed by more than a dozen countries, was delivered to Security Council members last month.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency WAFA says Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Thursday about what he called the "difficulties" experienced by the Palestinians due to Israeli settlement building and "the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian land."
Ashton is discussing the Mideast peace process with Palestinian officials in Ramallah Thursday following a similar meeting Wednesday with Israeli officials in Jerusalem.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
